Why are you leaving your current employer?

Is your current employer the right one? The economy is getting slowly better. You can debate how much better. Different industries are better than others but compared to the last few years, there is growth once again.

Industries are getting going that were quiet for years. We can see growth in construction industries, automotive industries, and other manufacturing sectors that were dormant.

Are you thinking it is time to jump ship?

Perhaps your own company is not that stable or perhaps you struggle with new management and you just don’t hit it off. Should you consider leaving and how will that look to the next employer?

I definitely feel that the time of 15 to 30 year careers is ending. You will find more people with shorter time spans with employers but how short is too short?

If a client asks me whether they should change jobs before they make a move, I review their resume and look at time between jobs. My clients often return for resume updates, rewrites, and new resumes, which gives me the opportunity to discuss long-term planning.

Even with the economy improving, unless you are in a temporary role out of your field, the atmosphere is toxic, or you know positively your job will be eliminated soon, I recommend 3-5 years between moves and closer to the 5 year mark if possible. When you get the itch every two years, this will catch up with you sooner or later.

Does this mean I should do nothing with my career planning?

Absolutely not! Even with someone who plans to stay in their current role for the long-term, I recommend several things:

• Update your resume every two to four years and keep notes in between of accomplishment-driven success stories.
• Make sure your entire LinkedIn profile is focused in the direction you hope to go and optimized for the keywords for the position and industry you are seeking.
• Discreetly let your network know you might make a move if the right opportunity came up.

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